When did you realize you wanted to be a designer?

Well, it’s quite a journey. Ever since I was a little kid, I was deeply passionate about medicine, fascinated by biology and the intricacies of the human body. Becoming a doctor was my dream as I entered college. However, life took a turn when I moved to the United States at 17, facing language barriers and cultural shocks. Pursuing medicine here seemed nearly impossible.

Feeling lost and considering returning to my home country (Dominican Republic), a turning point came when a cousin encouraged me to attend a college orientation in New York City. There, I discovered the captivating world of graphic and web design, igniting a dormant creativity within me. I took a leap of faith into the design realm, and looking back, I’m grateful I did.

How did you get started and what was the biggest hurdle you overcame?

While in college studying Digital Media Arts, aka Graphic Design, I was hired as a Jr. Web/Graphic Designer, and was also provided a lab to assist other designers with projects. One day, a design professor recommended me to a model/dancing company in need of a designer to edit photos, and I landed the job, marking my first real gig out of college. It was exhilarating to be paid for editing photos, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, one of the major challenges I encountered at that time was the design-to-developer hand-off; in 2006, I struggled to understand why my designs weren’t translating into functional websites. Determined to bridge this gap, I took it upon myself to learn how to code, enabling me to speak their language and grasp the technical feasibility of my designs in terms of development.

What’s been your most successful way of getting clients?

Hands down, word of mouth is the best. I remember back in 2007 when I started freelancing, I acquired my first client and went above and beyond for them. As a result, that client referred me to two more, and I repeated the process, leading to a chain reaction of referrals. It reached a point where I had to hire additional freelancers because I couldn’t handle the workload alone. Of course, there are other ways of acquiring clients nowadays, such as social media and networking at events.

How do you get clients to stay with you and use you for more work?

It’s all about establishing a connection with clients, getting to know them as friends, and discovering their likes, dislikes, and the pain points they face in their businesses. Empathizing with them and understanding their perspective is crucial.

When you develop a strong connection with your clients, trust is built, and they return to you, prioritizing the relationship over monetary concerns. Together, you work through challenges as friends, focusing on collaboration and mutual support. Of course when you’re starting out you don’t care about these things but with time you’ll get it.

Do you ever have issues with clients paying late? How do you manage that?

Of course, who hasn’t, lol. When you’re starting out freelancing, you’re often naive and unaware of the intricacies involved. I’ve had clients who never paid me because I trusted them and didn’t make them sign a contract. It’s a hard lesson learned. Eventually, you realize the importance of documenting everything and having specific contracts tailored to each project.

For instance, ensuring the client pays 50% of the total cost before you begin designing and the remaining 50% upon delivery of the final files is crucial. Additionally, as a designer, it’s essential to protect yourself with clauses covering aspects such as the number of revisions, termination and cancellation policies, timelines, client responsibilities, and so on.

What does your typical work day look like?

For product designers, every day brings something new and exciting. Naturally, the first order of business is to fuel up with a big cup of coffee – we all know it’s our secret weapon to kickstart the day! Then, it’s all about diving into my calendar and agenda, prioritizing tasks, and setting the tone for the day ahead. Some mornings kick off with UX sync meetings, where I offer feedback on colleagues’ work, followed by diving into crafting new components for our design system.

Throughout the day, I juggle 1:1s with product managers, engineers, and data analysts, ensuring everyone’s on the same page and projects are moving smoothly. In the middle of all of that, I make sure to take short breaks to hydrate, recharge with a dose of laughter from funny videos, catch a snippet of a book, or simply scroll through social media. Being a content creator adds another layer, so I seize any opportunity to craft posts throughout the day.

As a principal product designer, my role often involves consultation sessions, where teams book me to provide feedback on their design solutions or tackle various topics. The beauty of it all? Every day is a unique adventure, filled with surprises and fresh challenges, ensuring monotony never sets in. Once the workday winds down, it’s all about switching gears into family mode – from soccer practice with the kids to unwinding with a movie or dinner together, getting ready to tackle whatever tomorrow brings.

Any piece of advice/wisdom that you’d like to give the readers at This Design Life?

If you’re embarking on your journey as a designer, don’t hesitate to embrace the process. It’s easy to get caught up in the end goal, but remember to appreciate and embrace every step of the journey. Stay curious and don’t be afraid to experiment. Patience is key; remember that good things take time. Trust in your vision. Embrace failure as your greatest teacher. And above all, never stop learning.